This invention relates generally to apparatuses for loading and ejecting cassettes, and more particularly to a cassette loading and ejection apparatus wherein loading is effected by the force of gravity and ejection, including the release of a lock for securing the cassette in its loaded position, is effected responsive to an ejection order.
There has heretofore been known an apparatus adapted to effect loading of a cassette by utilizing the force of gravity and utilizing the rotational force of a motor only for ejecting the cassette. This apparatus is of a construction in which a link is connected to a rotary member and a pin embedded in a cassette holder is fitted into a slot formed in the link. One turn of the rotary member causes the cassette to move from loaded position to ejected position.
However, this apparatus has no mechanism for locking the cassette holder in its loaded position incorporated therein and the locking mechanism is disposed apart from the loading and ejection apparatus and is adapted to be operated responsive to the manual operation for rendering the recording and/or reproducing apparatus operative. Moreover, the lock releasing operation at the time of cassette ejection is not effected interrelatedly with the rotation of the rotary member but is effected responsive to a manual operation for cassette ejection. Moreover, in the above apparatus, the force for rotating the rotary member is obtained by way of a rotation transmission path from the recording/reproducing apparatus, and one-turn control of the rotary member is carried out by cutting off the transmission loop by a plunger solenoid. Accordingly, the known apparatus involves disadvantages in that the structure is complicated and assembly of the apparatus into the recording/reproducing apparatus is extremely troublesome.
Furthermore, since the link is connected to the rotary member, there arises disadvantage in that any mechanical impact occurring when cassette is loaded is adversely transmitted through the link mechanism to the rotary member.